Final Fantasy XIV... Go to X, kill Primal. Go to Y, Kill Primal. Go back to X, Kill Primal.

Hero_Select · Jun 26, 2021

I.. I WANT TO LIKE this game, I've heard so many great things about it and I don't necessarily want to buy story skips because that would defeat the purpose but oh my god. This never changes - the quests are ALL the same. I thought they were supposed to have streamlined them, but there is still a LOT of filler - it also doesn't help that you are CONSTANTLY moving through the same areas over and over and over again.

I beat the "main" story.. now I'm on patch 2.3 and I'm losing a lot of steam - these half steps havent added much to the story and it's getting really hard to keep pushing forward.

I guess my question is.. how much better is the questing experience in Heavensward? Is there more variety in what you do and in the areas you traverse? Because so far ARR has been extremely.. unimpressive. The story was cool towards the end with Ultima weapon but my god.. I can only keep bouncing back and forth between Ul'dah and Vesper Bay and Revanant Toll so many times.

The Dragon Mask · Jun 26, 2021

This is why I really wish there was just a great no commentary, important story beats only let's play of XIV because ain't nobody got time for that.

I haven't found a really comprehensive one but if anyone can recommend one I'd really appreciate it.

Cerulean_skylark · Jun 26, 2021

Hero_Select said:
I guess my question is.. how much better is the questing experience in Heavensward? Is there more variety in what you do and in the areas you traverse? Because so far ARR has been extremely.. unimpressive. The story was cool towards the end with Ultima weapon but my god.. I can only keep bouncing back and forth between Ul'dah and Vesper Bay and Revanant Toll so many times.

Heaven'sward is MUCH better story-wise. it's basically a journey of self discovery through all the zones, then shit starts to hit the fan at the end. much improved personal motivation and acting.
you're almost done 2.x, just a bit further.

PlanetSmasher · Jun 26, 2021

Heavensward's main storyline feels more like a traditional FF game in structure. You're with a core adventuring group that you spend the majority of the game with and the story is always moving forward. There's one spot later in the game where the pacing falls off a cliff but it's one specific area and when it's over you rarely go back there.

The part of the story you're at right now is the worst part of the entire XIV narrative. It sucks and it's horrible but a lot of it is relevant later (and it contains some important trial boss fights) so they can't just cut all of it.

Scarlet Death · Jun 26, 2021

I was jus thinking about this the other day that a FFXIV anime that covers ARR would be cool

AArouet · Jun 26, 2021

Really interested to see the responses to this post. I really want to buy the game but I've heard the first 50 hours are pretty bad COMPARED to all the new expansions.

If you buy story skips, what exactly happens? Do they send you a summary of the story?

Deleted member 1102 · Jun 26, 2021

In before people tell you that it gets better (which it does).

It took me three years to get through ARR but six months to get through HW to 5.3. It's worth it if you stick with it but don't push yourself just based on what other people say.

MGPanda · Jun 26, 2021

After hearing how it's the best MMORPG of all time and how it would make me hate WoW... Yeah, I felt the same as you, OP. I got tired of hearing how it starts to get better after A Realm Reborn, I shouldn't have to grind through god knows how many hours (and that's doing the main quests exclusively) just to start to get to the good part.

Arkeband · Jun 26, 2021

AArouet said:
Really interested to see the responses to this post. I really want to buy the game but I've heard the first 50 hours are pretty bad COMPARED to all the new expansions.

If you buy story skips, what exactly happens? Do they send you a summary of the story?

They send you a bill that says "thanks for paying us money to not play our game."

But seriously no it's not that bad, it's just not the same quality as the new stuff.

Cerulean_skylark · Jun 26, 2021

AArouet said:
Really interested to see the responses to this post. I really want to buy the game but I've heard the first 50 hours are pretty bad COMPARED to all the new expansions.

If you buy story skips, what exactly happens? Do they send you a summary of the story?

you can go to your storybook in the inn and watch all the cutscenes.
2.x, while painful sets up a LOT of universe and characters that they pay-off in the better written expansions. That's usually why people say don't skip 2.x, because it'll matter more when the game gets insanely good.

What people don't really sell when they talk about 2.x being "bad" is that the team rebuilt an entire MMO from scratch in 2 years while still patching the OG release. It's not like there was no reason for 2.x to be a bit under-developed. It is nothing short of a miracle game.

While it SEEMS bad now, it is a herculean achievement in context and these days, experiencing it is kind of a shared struggle among the community. We all go through it, and we get a lot of satisfaction for doing so later on.

SunKing · Jun 26, 2021

Cerulean_skylark said:
2.x, while painful sets up a LOT of universe and characters that they pay-off in the better written expansions. That's usually why people say don't skip 2.x, because it'll matter more when the game gets insanely good.

This. Shadowbringers especially is the pay off of YEARS of story telling. But, even aside from that, there's groundwork being established for EVERY expansion in A Realm Reborn. Even in the early levels, there's stuff that is brought up that comes back later in Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers.

Hell, you want a more concrete example:

Before you even ride an airship for the first time in A Realm Reborn, there is a scene that gets revisited later in patch 5.2 of Shadowbringers.

Wispmetas · Jun 26, 2021

I don't even think it gets that much better in Heavensward. MSQ continues to have a lot of nothing boring quests where you just go and talk to someone to see a cutscene. The dungeons are cooler though, for sure.

Dyno · Jun 26, 2021

You're almost done with the worst bit. Imo skip them cutscenes for a bit. ARR is pretty awful in general.

Hero_Select · Jun 26, 2021

AArouet said:
Really interested to see the responses to this post. I really want to buy the game but I've heard the first 50 hours are pretty bad COMPARED to all the new expansions.

If you buy story skips, what exactly happens? Do they send you a summary of the story?

Honestly. Bad is an understatement, the whole thing has felt like an insanely slow-paced slog. The few important story beats that do happen are at the end of so many filler quests.

There's one when you have to kill a certain Primal but the game tells you to find this one guy whose fought her before but it turns out he's a fake after you do a couple quests for him then he tells you about the real guy then you go to him but he wants you to prove yourself by finding this other dude and then he wants you to help him set up this banquet thing and then you spend the next hr doing a quest for wine and it. just. NEVER. STOPS.

All the quests are like that, for all the Primals. No deviation. It's just a constant back and forth.

Gradon · Jun 26, 2021

I know it was the point but I was literally howling that the game lets you know it knows it's giving you absolute shite quests to work with when you've been pumped to fight Titan for nearly 2 hours of fetch quests lmao.

I'm level 41 and a lot of quests have been a struggle but I'm on home stretch of 40-50 quests for ARR now, I haven't hated it and enjoyed a lot of the story, just found a lot of the quests to be really lacklustre back and forth fetch quest crap.

Though I've heard 2.1+ quests are even worse…

Kingpin Rogers · Jun 26, 2021

I like the repetitive nature of the quests tbh. I play it by just skipping all cutscenes and dialogue and just enjoy the satisfaction of seeing "quest cleared" and some numbers go up, even if the quests are just talk to this person and then come back and turn the quest in. It's fun.

Hippopuncher12 · Jun 26, 2021

MGPanda said:
After hearing how it's the best MMORPG of all time and how it would make me hate WoW... Yeah, I felt the same as you, OP. I got tired of hearing how it starts to get better after A Realm Reborn, I shouldn't have to grind through god knows how many hours (and that's doing the main quests exclusively) just to start to get to the good part.

Yep, I'm sure it gets good a lot later, but after resubbing probably 10 times over the last few years and still not getting through the ARR stuff, just...no. Again I'm sure it gets good later, but I'll take WoW, thanks.

Cerulean_skylark · Jun 26, 2021

Hero_Select said:
Honestly. Bad is an understatement, the whole thing has felt like an insanely slow-paced slog. The few important story beats that do happen are at the end of so many filler quests.

There's one when you have to kill a certain Primal but the game tells you to find this one guy whose fought her before but it turns out he's a fake after you do a couple quests for him then he tells you about the real guy then you go to him but he wants you to prove yourself by finding this other dude and then he wants you to help him set up this banquet thing and then you spend the next hr doing a quest for wine and it. just. NEVER. STOPS.

All the quests are like that, for all the Primals. No deviation. It's just a constant back and forth.

but in later expansions when these characters return, you'll be like.

Rick-Dalton-Pointing-Is-a-New-Meme-Because-Thats-Where-We-Are.jpg

Napalm_Frank · Jun 26, 2021

That's around the exact spot I quit XIV years ago, back when people claimed how Realm Reborn was the best FF story in forever. And afterward they say that was just a prank bro, expansions are where it gets good.

You ain't gonna bamboozle me twice!

PlanetSmasher · Jun 26, 2021

Hero_Select said:
Honestly. Bad is an understatement, the whole thing has felt like an insanely slow-paced slog. The few important story beats that do happen are at the end of so many filler quests.

There's one when you have to kill a certain Primal but the game tells you to find this one guy whose fought her before but it turns out he's a fake after you do a couple quests for him then he tells you about the real guy then you go to him but he wants you to prove yourself by finding this other dude and then he wants you to help him set up this banquet thing and then you spend the next hr doing a quest for wine and it. just. NEVER. STOPS.

All the quests are like that, for all the Primals. No deviation. It's just a constant back and forth.

If it helps, this is basically the only time the game feels like this. It's pretty clear the developers were spinning their wheels for MONTHS during the post-ARR storyline because they needed time to figure out how to do an expansion.

The post-game questlines in EVERY subsequent expansion are far more manageable and you may actually find yourself going "wait that's IT?" at the end of a patch questline in StB/ShB compared to "when will this be over?" in the ARR post-quests.

ventuno · Jun 26, 2021

You'll still have to do some bouncing around throughout FFXIV overall, but it feels less redundant and they've taken the feedback about how tedious it can feel to heart. You'll have more engaging content to do as you proceed.

AArouet said:
Really interested to see the responses to this post. I really want to buy the game but I've heard the first 50 hours are pretty bad COMPARED to all the new expansions.

ARR is one of the two weaker expansions whose true value won't really reveal itself for a long time. It's not terrible, but it pales in comparison to later events... Someone's called out comments like this, but it really does set up the foundation for the rest of the story. I wouldn't recommend a story skip, especially now that you can just go through everything without waiting and the foreshadowing will be more fresh in your mind.

Enforcer · Jun 26, 2021

It's not gonna get better.

Get used to going back and forth NPCs and doing fetch quests for the entirety of your time with the game including all expansions.

Laxoon · Jun 26, 2021

The only saving grace 2.x has is I was able to play it with friends and make fun of it along the way and most of that was helped greatly by the reassurance I was still on my free trial.
The Revenants Toll stuff onwards is when it starts to get good and by the time I was a few quests into Heavensward it felt like the game actually honestly started giving a damn and outclassed everything that came before yes including the quests.
Now I'm nearing the end of Stormblood and the quality of everything has only been improving.

Whatever you do make sure you do the Alexander dungeons, God fuckin damn those were so good you wouldn't think they came from the same game as 2.x had you believe.

Jardim · Jun 26, 2021

With Heavensward being free, paying money to skip stuff seens preposterous to me. Not only will not learn how to play the game, you will miss a ridiculous amount of context for the payoffs later. Its ok to not like the game, but paying to NOT PLAY IT seems so insane haha

Fanuilos · Jun 26, 2021

Those last couple patches of ARR are decent and do a lot of setup for future expansions. The general gameplay though doesn't change a whole lot. You'll get more abilities that make the jobs more fun/engaging. I'd say Heavensward and on are much better paced, but there'll still be quests like "go kill three boars" or "pick up 5 lost packages". Reading the text and engaging with the story is what makes it worthwhile imo, and fortunately you're pretty close to some good story beats that happen at the end of ARR.

AwShucks · Jun 26, 2021

I always feel in the minority because I loved ARR and the patches. Even my 8 year old has gotten through it without too much boredom, though it's easier now with the cut quests.

PlanetSmasher · Jun 26, 2021

Enforcer said:
It's not gonna get better.

Get used to going back and forth NPCs and doing fetch quests for the entirety of your time with the game including all expansions.

Congratulations: welcome to massively multiplayer online RPGs. If you don't care about the story the game is telling you of course it's going to feel like that.

It's not like WoW's core content is any more engaging. It's all the same stuff over there too.

Hero_Select · Jun 26, 2021

PlanetSmasher said:
If it helps, this is basically the only time the game feels like this. It's pretty clear the developers were spinning their wheels for MONTHS during the post-ARR storyline because they needed time to figure out how to do an expansion.

The post-game questlines in EVERY subsequent expansion are far more manageable and you may actually find yourself going "wait that's IT?" at the end of a patch questline in StB/ShB compared to "when will this be over?" in the ARR post-quests.

That is good to know honestly. I am surprised they didnt do more when they removed quests for that update. There are more than a few times where I thought something was completely pointless and just slows down any sort of momentum that the story was building.

Oh Garuda is summoned? LOL go get me wine!

Anoxida · Jun 26, 2021

This is why I had to take a break. I'm almost done with HW but yeah even though I enjoyed the story it felt like I was just doing the same thing over and over pretty much. I suppose once you're done leveling the loop becomes a bit different. Because it's like why would I steer of and do X and Y when the rewards will just be completely redundant like instantly when I continue the story and level up so you're kind of "forced" to just keep playing the story and the way it's setup follows a formula that it never really takes a break from.

Cerulean_skylark · Jun 26, 2021

Hero_Select said:
That is good to know honestly. I am surprised they didnt do more when they removed quests for that update. There are more than a few times where I thought something was completely pointless and just slows down any sort of momentum that the story was building.

Oh Garuda is summoned? LOL go get me wine!

I mean, at least NOW you are massively overleveled for any content compared to playing at release, except for dungeons. Killing anything for anything must be a breeze.

Hero_Select · Jun 26, 2021

Anoxida said:
This is why I had to take a break. I'm almost done with HW but yeah even though I enjoyed the story it felt like I was just doing the same thing over and over pretty much. I suppose once you're done leveling the loop becomes a bit different.

How are you enjoying HW compared to ARR?

Hippopuncher12 · Jun 26, 2021

PlanetSmasher said:
Congratulations: welcome to massively multiplayer online RPGs. If you don't care about the story the game is telling you of course it's going to feel like that.

It's not like WoW's core content is any more engaging. It's all the same stuff over there too.

Of course the core is the same, an MMO is an MMO, they are all just giant go from point A to point B, personally I just think FF 14 does it worse at least in the ARR portion, which unfortunately for it that is where you have to start so years later I still haven't been able to get through it, the combat being as slow as it is, is probably the biggest problem for me however. The thing with WoW compared to FF 14 while leveling is it also gives you way more choices in which to do that, I think FF 14 you are probably hamstrung if you don't do the actual main quest, WoW it doesn't matter.

Anoxida · Jun 26, 2021

Hero_Select said:
How are you enjoying HW compared to ARR?

I think HW is superior pretty much across the board. Do I think it's as good as people make it out to be? No. Not at all. I was expecting a top tier story based on what people been saying about HW but no, it's pretty good. Not more, not less. Unless it goes completely bonkers at the end ( I think im like 80-90% through it so far). But even then, I spent dozens of hours playing through a 6-7/10 story so even if it picks up drastically at the end it wouldn't change my perception too much.

PlanetSmasher · Jun 26, 2021

Hero_Select said:
That is good to know honestly. I am surprised they didnt do more when they removed quests for that update. There are more than a few times where I thought something was completely pointless and just slows down any sort of momentum that the story was building.

Oh Garuda is summoned? LOL go get me wine!

Yeah. The entire postgame primal hunt feels like wheel-spinning in the most obvious and transparent way. It does really get better once they learn how to budget players' time more effectively, and then most of the miserable grind gets offloaded into relic weapon quests.

Hippopuncher12 said:
Of course the core is the same, an MMO is an MMO, they are all just giant go from point A to point B, personally I just think FF 14 does it worse at least in the ARR portion, which unfortunately for it that is where you have to start so years later I still haven't been able to get through it, the combat being as slow as it is, is probably the biggest problem for me however. The thing with WoW compared to FF 14 while leveling is it also gives you way more choices in which to do that, I think FF 14 you are probably hamstrung if you don't do the actual main quest, WoW it doesn't matter.

Not really. There are alternative leveling methods like Deep Dungeons and the like nowadays. Yeah, the game is INTENDED to funnel your main job a ton of EXP via story quests, but there are other ways to level if you want to tackle them.

Deleted member 28523 · Jun 26, 2021

Oh man the ARR patches have so much good stuff. Keeper of the Lake is still one of the best dungeons in the game. Always fun when I see that one pop up in roulette.

Cerulean_skylark · Jun 26, 2021

Hippopuncher12 said:
Of course the core is the same, an MMO is an MMO, they are all just giant go from point A to point B, personally I just think FF 14 does it worse at least in the ARR portion, which unfortunately for it that is where you have to start so years later I still haven't been able to get through it, the combat being as slow as it is, is probably the biggest problem for me however. The thing with WoW compared to FF 14 while leveling is it also gives you way more choices in which to do that, I think FF 14 you are probably hamstrung if you don't do the actual main quest, WoW it doesn't matter.

At least in FF14 you can just teleport everywhere :x

Moara · Jun 26, 2021

Anoxida said:
I think HW is superior pretty much across the board. Do I think it's as good as people make it out to be? No. Not at all. I was expecting a top tier story based on what people been saying about HW but no, it's pretty good. Not more, not less. Unless it goes completely bonkers at the end ( I think im like 80-90% through it so far). But even then, I spent dozens of hours playing through a 6-7/10 story so even if it picks up drastically at the end it wouldn't change my perception too much.

HW is at its best towards the end, yes. And by end, I mean the post-patch content. The story doesn't truly end until 3.3

Enforcer · Jun 26, 2021

PlanetSmasher said:
Congratulations: welcome to massively multiplayer online RPGs. If you don't care about the story the game is telling you of course it's going to feel like that.

It's not like WoW's core content is any more engaging. It's all the same stuff over there too.

Nope I played most MMOs and this game is the worst when it comes to formulaic boring quest designs tied to the main story.

Mentosrock · Jun 26, 2021

Yeah, ARR is the most tedious experience.. The fetch quests are relentless and they last sooooooo long. I'm sorry <3

fr0st · Jun 26, 2021

No the questing remains the same throughout the entire expansions.

Basically all are fetch quests into dungeons into cutscenes.

The reason get better looking and feel more alive in heavenward and shadowbringers. Stromblood kinda the weak point of the story imo

Hippopuncher12 · Jun 26, 2021

PlanetSmasher said:
Not really. There are alternative leveling methods like Deep Dungeons and the like nowadays. Yeah, the game is INTENDED to funnel your main job a ton of EXP via story quests, but there are other ways to level if you want to tackle them.

Well if that is the case maybe I will try it, because I just don't think I can stomach getting through the story of ARR, it just isn't interesting enough for me to care.

Li Kao · Jun 26, 2021

Hmm, I may be harsher than most, but after the stellar start of HW the whole Dravania plot bored me pretty hard. Just resubbed and killed an important boss, maybe it will get back up.

PlanetSmasher · Jun 26, 2021

Enforcer said:
Nope I played most MMOs and this game is the worst when it comes to formulaic boring quest designs tied to the main story.

I played WoW for years, and I legitimately can barely even remember that it had a main story. I was just flying around to random zones doing random fetch quests for nobodies whose names I never learned while any story cutscenes that did play never involved my character in any way.

Berordn · Jun 26, 2021

stormblood's real problem is that it hits some great highs but gyr abania is the same old shtick and features a lot of not particularly interesting characters to boot

everyone loves hein, but nobody gives two toots about lyse

Sandfox · Jun 26, 2021

Hippopuncher12 said:
Well if that is the case maybe I will try it, because I just don't think I can stomach getting through the story of ARR, it just isn't interesting enough for me to care.

The expansion stories have had a much better reception.

Anoxida · Jun 26, 2021

Moara said:
HW is at its best towards the end, yes. And by end, I mean the post-patch content. The story doesn't truly end until 3.3

Well that's good to hear. But like I said, if a story is 80% decent and 20% awesome it still doesn't end up being a great story imo.

Also, considering I've so far been disappointed in HWs story, hearing that the overwhelming general consensus that Stormblood was a step down doesn't really inspire me to go back to the game. I am interested in Shadow Bringers though so I'll get back to it eventually I suppose.

Cerulean_skylark · Jun 26, 2021

Enforcer said:
Nope I played most MMOs and this game is the worst when it comes to formulaic boring quest designs tied to the main story.

IN ffxiv though, quests are there to shuttle you to and from story beats, dungeons and Trial bosses. They aren't the point of the game in and of themselves. Which is why i think us die-hards really don't mind. There is no % chance to drop quest items etc, you explore the landscapes and are given the story (which is currently exceptional). What else can you really say about it 🤷

zashga · Jun 26, 2021

Yeah, the 2.X content is a slog. I think they actually trimmed it down a bit last year, but it's still FF14 at its most "this OK I guess." I didn't really get into the game until I reached the immediate lead up to HW, and I don't know if I would've made it there without a few friends dragging me along.

Moara · Jun 26, 2021

Anoxida said:
Well that's good to hear. But like I said, if a story is 80% decent and 20% awesome it still doesn't end up being a great story imo.

Also, considering I've so far been disappointed in HWs story, hearing that the overwhelming general consensus that Stormblood was a step down doesn't really inspire me to go back to the game. I am interested in Shadow Bringers though so I'll get back to it eventually I suppose.

There are people out there that prefer Stormblood over HW, so I wouldn't go in expecting to hate it.

Shadowbringers is the one that is almost universally considered the best one.

fr0st · Jun 26, 2021

Hippopuncher12 said:
Well if that is the case maybe I will try it, because I just don't think I can stomach getting through the story of ARR, it just isn't interesting enough for me to care.

The problem with that is content is locked behind the story so you might be high lvl and have nothing to do cause you aren't far enough the story

Final Fantasy XIV... Go to X, kill Primal. Go to Y, Kill Primal. Go back to X, Kill Primal.

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